I, uh, stopped timing long ago. When I did time, I did both. I timed from button press to first drop (expecting ~5s) in order to check if the puck is too tight. I timed from first drop to last drop (expecting ~20s) to dial in the shot. Now I just go by pressure and taste. The bbe is very inconsistent, and I kind of wish I would have saved up more and gotten a different machine. But it is what it is.

Lots of people may offer you opinions.

Really, though, the best solution is to try a couple of different ways and see what tastes better to you.

Everyone’s palate is a little different, and there’s no substitute for experimentation.

The worst that can happen is that the coffee doesn’t taste as good. So next time you do it a different way.

After a few tries, you should figure out what you like the most.

My machine has a built in timer that starts with the button press, and I find more intuitive to start timing when the water makes contact with coffee, as the first drop means nothing in itself.

But as long as you are consistent from pull to pull, you should be able to choose one way or another without worries :) as another commenter said, taste is the target

From first drop.

It should technically begin when extraction begins — so (depending on your machine) when you press the button, lift the lever, etc. Water time on grounds is what you’re tracking.

That said, don’t be afraid to play. Times are just guidelines. Pay attention to what’s happening at the group head. Some of my best pulls have been longer than 30s.

When I had my gaggia classic, I used to count from the moment I pressed it.

I use a manual lever, but I start counting when the pressure is where I want it